Refugee Page 0,77

of it caused his lips to twitch involuntarily upward. Stepping around the corner of the house, he froze at the sight of Aria standing in front of Max, smiling smugly as she handed the bow over to him. For a moment Braith was too stunned to move, and then rage tore through him. Beside him, Jack groaned.

"I thought you were watching her!" Braith snarled.

"Braith."

His brother went to grab his arm but he was already storming across the field toward them. Aria turned toward him, the smile on her mouth froze in place, apprehension flashed across her features but she remained otherwise immobile. Max dropped the bow to his side, but Braith was well aware that the boy would like nothing more than to fire one of those arrows into his heart.

Aria's paralysis broke. She grabbed hold of the bow as she stepped in front of Max. "What is going on?" he demanded, never breaking eye contact with Max. Even without the bow he was a threat.

"We're just taking target practice," she answered.

"You shouldn't be with him."

"He's my friend, Braith."

"He nearly killed you the last time you saw him."

"It was an accident. A mistake, we've talked about it."

"And that makes it better!?" he barked.

Her hands twisted on the bow. He became aware of the fact that she might also like to take a shot at him. "Yes," she grated through clenched teeth. "It does."

Max shifted nervously behind her. "I should probably go."

"Yes," Braith informed him at the same time that Aria snapped, "No."

Frustration filled him. As he reached for her, she smacked his hand away. "Aria..."

"He is my friend Braith and that's not going to change, no matter how much you disapprove." He didn't get a chance to argue further as she slammed her bow into his chest and stormed off. Jack stepped swiftly out of her way as she stalked past him, shooting him a dark look as she went.

Max stood uncertainly, looking torn between wanting to bolt, and wanting to laugh out loud. Braith glared at him. "If you hurt her again, it will be the last time."

Max nodded, an infuriating smile played at the corners of his mouth. Braith fought the urge to punch him but the boy hadn't done anything wrong, at least not yet. He didn't trust him though, not for one minute. In fact he thought the best thing would be for Max to leave and never return, but unless Max made that choice himself, or unless he did something to Aria again, it looked like that wouldn't happen anytime soon. Max was important in the cause, and for some unfathomable reason, Aria cared for him.

Braith turned away from him and moved swiftly into the house. She was in the room they had shared last night. She looked exhausted and worn, far more so than the encounter outside should have made her. He was bewildered by the distressed look on her face, the dark circles that marred her beautiful blue eyes.

"Did he do or say something to upset you?"

"No," she answered tiredly. "He apologized, and then he tried to help mend our friendship. I miss him Braith, I know what happened before but we were once good friends. I wouldn't have survived after I left the palace if it wasn't for Max. I was heartbroken and he helped to ease some of that."

Braith didn't like to think about that time, it hadn't been easy for either of them. "He's in love with you."

Tears shimmered in her eyes. "Maybe then, but he's accepted that I don't feel the same way about him, and he's trying to move on. He may not approve but he knows that I love you."

"I don't approve of him either."

"I wish you would learn to get along. Max was an important part of my life, and I would like to have him back in it. I'm not foolish enough to believe it can ever be the same, but I'd like to at least see the two of you come to some sort of understanding with each other."

"And if he hurts you again?"

"He won't."

"But if he does?"

A single tear slid free. "I'll stay away from him then."

"He almost killed you last time."

"Braith stop! It was an accident, a mistake. I will never know what happened to him in that palace. I was lucky that you stepped forward to take me from that other vampire." Braith's hands fisted, his muscles locked as he recalled the bastard that had almost owned her. "I can only